Lifeboat Foundation

In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near low-metallicity stars.

Using the sun as a baseline, astronomers can measure when a star formed by determining its metallicity, or the level of heavy elements present within it. Metal-rich stars or nebulas formed relatively recently, while metal-poor objects were likely present during the early universe.

Previous studies found a weak connection between metallicity rates and planet formation, noting that as a star’s metallicity goes down, so, too, does planet formation for certain planet populations, like sub-Saturns or sub-Neptunes.

We may be looking for Martian life in the wrong places. The Viking life detection experiments might have inadvertently killed indigenous Martian life by applying too much water. Instead we should “follow the salt” to find life on Mars! See my blog on BigThink (with link to Nature Astronomy paper), Weblink through my webpage:

Posted on Big Think.

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 6:20 p.m. ET on Oct. 1, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X7.1 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

When it comes to searching for life beyond Earth, specifically on exoplanets or exomoons, are researchers searching for the correct biomarkers? This is what a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated how certain organic compounds that were long hypothesized to be created by life can be created in a laboratory setting without life present. This study holds the potential to challenge longstanding hypotheses regarding what biomarkers scientists should search for when trying to identify life on other worlds and how we should adapt our search methods accordingly.

For the study, the researchers successfully created dimethyl sulfide, which is an organic sulfur compound typically produced by marine algae, using a combination of light and gases that have been identified in the atmospheres of exoplanets. The caveat is no organisms were present to create the dimethyl sulfide, which left the researchers puzzled due to the longstanding hypothesis that marine organisms were the only way dimethyl sulfide was created.

“The sulfur molecules that we’re making are thought to be indicators of life because they’re produced by life on Earth,” said Dr. Eleanor Browne, who is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder, and a co-author on the study. “But we made them in the lab without life — so it might not be a sign of life but could be a sign of something hospitable for life.”

Liftoff occurred at 1:17 p.m. ET.

This could explain the silence.

This conversation between Max Tegmark and Joel Hellermark was recorded in April 2024 at Max Tegmark’s MIT office. An edited version was premiered at Sana AI Summit on May 15 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Max Tegmark is a professor doing AI and physics research at MIT as part of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence \& Fundamental Interactions and the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines. He is also the president of the Future of Life Institute and the author of the New York Times bestselling books Life 3.0 and Our Mathematical Universe. Max’s unorthodox ideas have earned him the nickname “Mad Max.”

Continue reading “Creating superhuman AI” »

Surprisingly, your past, present, and future could be happening right now, all at the same time.

The block universe theory suggests that time doesn’t flow and all moments—past, present, and future—exist simultaneously in a four-dimensional space. This challenges our conventional experience of time as a linear progression. According to Dr. Kristie Miller, traveling to the past or future might be possible, but changing events isn’t; you’d only fulfill what’s already set. Critics argue that the future can’t be predetermined, with models like the evolving block universe proposing a growing spacetime block. While the debate continues, this theory reshapes our understanding of time and existence. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and join the discussion below!

We seem to experience time as moving in a single direction. After all, we can’t just leap forward to the future or revisit our past whenever we wish. Every minute of every day seems to push us forward, dragging us through life towards an inevitable end. At least, that’s the traditional perception of time. But what if your present, past, and future all exist simultaneously? From this perspective, time wouldn’t flow at all.

How can the metal content of stars influence the formation of Earth-like exoplanets? This is what a recent study published in The Astronomical Journal hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated the minimum amount of metals a star can possess (also called metallicity) that are needed for Earth-like planets to form in small orbits like our own. This study holds the potential to help researchers better understand the necessary conditions for Earth-like exoplanets to form, along with gaining new insights into the formation and evolution of other exoplanets.

This research builds off previous studies that hypothesized a correlation between star’s low metallicity and the formation of exoplanets smaller than Saturn or Neptune. For this new study, the researchers used computer models built from exoplanet data obtained by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission to ascertain a metallicity cutoff where the formation of Earth-like exoplanets become impossible. In the end, the researchers indicated that a threshold between-0.75 and-0.5 metallicity is where Earth-like exoplanets can form.

“In a similar stellar type as our sample, we now know not to expect planet formation to be abundant once you pass a negative 0.5 metallicity region,” said Dr. Kiersten Boley, who recently completed her PhD at The Ohio State University and is lead author of the study. “That’s kind of striking because we actually have data to show that now. You don’t want to search areas where life wouldn’t be conducive or in areas where you don’t even think you’re going to find a planet. There’s just a plethora of questions that you can ask if you know these things.”